In both of our organizations, there have been recent positive changes. Yet, there are moments and seasons where individuals have a hard time adjusting to the change. Even when things are moving in the right direction, people don’t always feel that way.

In the middle of our conversation, Kerry said something simple and so profound,

“Kevin, you have to remember that healthy things grow, and things that grow change.”

If our organization is healthy, it’s going to grow, and as a result, it’s going to change. The same is true of a child. We just celebrated our son’s fourth birthday. When we look back at pictures and videos, we can see just how much he’s grown and changed. He’s not a baby or a toddler anymore; he’s a little boy. Sometimes, my wife and I feel sad about this because we miss our baby boy! But he is healthy, so he is going to grow. And as long as he is growing, he will keep changing. Have you ever been back to a city after years of being away? You may have a similar experience. If the city is healthy, it is likely to have more people, new stores and restaurants, bigger buildings, and more things to do. You might feel a little uneasy at first. You might miss the town you used to know, but if you can embrace that it’s a healthy city, growing and thriving, you’ll find a way to appreciate it!

Here’s one last example:

Have you ever loved a restaurant and were surprised to find they had changed their menu? Maybe they simplified their selections to make sure every meal is high quality. They might have changed the names of their menu items to help customers make choices more easily. Whatever the reason, the choice was likely born from growth (or, at least, a desire to grow).

When we can see change as a side effect of growth, we will more easily embrace it.

Ultimately, embracing change within your organization comes down to a shift in perspective. If we don’t have the right perspective, we won’t embrace growth, and if we don’t embrace it, we will never appreciate progress.

This week, evaluate the change you’re experiencing in your personal and professional life. Ask yourself if it’s a result of growth. If it is, embrace it! If the change isn’t progress, by all means, push back.

Well, technically it started last weekend. But the games that I care about start later this week, and I can’t wait!A few weeks ago, we had our ADDO retreat in Athens, GA. We have a group of University of Georgia graduates on our team, but we also have quite a few who aren’t. So the last thing we wanted was for this to feel like a UGA fan’s retreat. However, there is one UGA legend I knew I wanted to speak to our team: former head football coach Mark Richt. His message was impactful and powerful, and he was one of the highlights of our retreat—even for those who have no affinity for the Georgia Bulldogs! You can see a highlight of our time with him in the video below.

Here are three insights I took away from Coach Richt’s message to our team:1. The power of self-deprecating humor.This is less about his content and more about his approach. It is natural to put someone like Mark Richt on a pedestal. He is nationally known for his success and prominence on and off the football field, but the way he spoke to our team and told stories about his own life made him feel so approachable. He put himself on our level through self-deprecating humor. Here’s an example: Coach Richt said that when he was growing up, his plan was to go to college to play football. He thought he would start his freshman year, win all American his sophomore year, win the Heisman trophy junior year, and then graduate early to go start in the NFL! But in reality, he was the back-up quarterback to “lucky” Jim Kelly in college, who was so “lucky” he beat Richt out for the starting position. He then went on to chronicle his time in the NFL playing back-up to “lucky” John Elway and “lucky” Dan Marino. He said he was probably the fourth best quarterback in all of America, but had the unlucky misfortune of playing behind the three best.By not taking himself too seriously, he captured our team’s attention immediately and created a genuine connection with his audience. If you truly care about people, you should work to connect with them. When done correctly, and not manipulatively, self-deprecating humor can disarm others and level the playing field. [ctt template="2" link="bfiW8" via="no" ]If you truly care about people, you should work to connect with them. @KevinPaulScott[/ctt]2. Decision making in light of eternity.One question Coach Richt asked himself regularly throughout his life is, “What is going to be the right decision for eternity?” When he got hired at UGA, he asked then-Athletic Director Vince Dooley if you could win in the SEC without cheating. Dooley confirmed that you could; yet, Richt had a coach on his staff tell him that he didn’t agree. Coach Richt knew he wouldn’t change who he was or how he coached just to win a game. He cared more about the eternal implications of his actions and desired to honor God with his work. Ask yourself this week, Am I making decisions based on what's expedient for this week, month, or quarter, or am I making decisions in light of eternity?3. Maintaining an eternal perspective.This sounds like the last point, but it has a different twist. As we neared the end of our time with Coach Richt, I asked him to share how he has faced his battle with Parkinson’s disease, and I so appreciated his honesty. He admitted that it’s not easy, but quoted Paul in 2 Corinthians saying his suffering is “a light and momentary affliction compared to the weight of glory that awaits us.” He went on to say that when he considers the fullness of time, his struggle with Parkinson’s is such a small moment. Looking at his circumstances with an eternal perspective made it possible for Coach to consistently make decisions that honor God and the people around him.I’m grateful for Coach Richt, for his investment in me and in our ADDO team. He is a great example of what it looks like to lead well in every season, and I’m honored to have had a chance to learn from him personally.My challenge for you this week: [highlight]make decisions and lead in light of eternity.[/highlight]

There are whole courses on time management. It would be tough to find someone who wouldn’t want more hours in the day, or at least more productivity in the hours we have. Time is our most valuable resource, it’s incalculable in nature (we don’t know when our time will end), and it’s the biggest source of regret for many individuals. We spend a lot of time focused on how to more effectively use time. [highlight]However, I’d argue that we need to spend way more time focused on our energy.[/highlight] James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, argues, “Manage your energy, not your time.”Adam Grant, professor at the Wharton School of Business and expert in organizational psychology, says, “If you're trying to be more productive, don't analyze how you spend your time. Pay attention to what consumes your attention.” Consider the following table and look at how the differences between time and energy impact the way we can interact with them:

Time is important, but when you get up every day, try to figure out where (and how) to spend your energy. When you find the right focus, you can amplify your energy and accomplish more in a shorter amount of time.[ctt template="2" link="H2z3X" via="no" ]When you find the right focus, you can amplify your energy and accomplish more in a shorter amount of time. @KevinPaulScott[/ctt]You’re probably wondering, what tactics can you take to manage your energy? I have three suggestions.1. Perform an energy audit. Write down all the things you do during the day, and identify what gives energy, what drains energy, and what is neutral. All of us have to do things that drain our energy (We don’t live in fantasy land!). So an activity that drains your energy doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it, but when you do it can make a big difference! More on that in point 3. 2. Think about your energy in four main areas. My professional coach Rob McKinnon encouraged me to consider my energy in four different areas of my life, following the acronym PIES:

• Physical: Am I drinking enough water? Am I getting enough sleep? Am I exercising?
• Intellectual: What is currently on my mind?
• Emotional: How does this make me feel?
• Spiritual: Does this align with my purpose?

3. Reorient your schedule accordingly. Try to look at your week, or even within each day, and identify the tasks that give you energy. Try to have a balance between the tasks that give you energy and the tasks that drain your energy, and work to not stack too many energy draining activities in a row. For example, every Monday morning I have an entire company meeting. Though I love meeting with our whole team, meetings can drain my energy. With that in mind, I shouldn’t leave that meeting and go directly into another one (at least not if I can help it.) When possible, I need to schedule something immediately following that time to give me an energy boost.Stop thinking only about time management and start to focus on maximizing your energy. You’ll be more satisfied with your daily work and accomplish much more than you thought possible!

Born and raised in Iran, he immigrated to the United States when he was 19 years old to study economics at the University of Oklahoma. Mr. Taher went on to earn an MBA, but part of his remarkable journey included a stint sleeping on a park bench and time working as a dishwasher to support himself. That dishwasher position in the back of a restaurant led him to pursue a career in hospitality, becoming the founder and CEO of this very successful company.

As an outsider looking in, I was challenged by the way Mr. Taher addressed the leaders on his large team, and he did something unique that caught my attention:

He gave his employees permission to make courageous decisions.

Now that might not sound that special, but he encouraged them to do what was right, even (and especially) when that decision was not the best thing for their bottom line. Here are two main takeaways from his address:

1. Hire 10% more.

Specifically, he told them to hire more people than they need. As with any organization, they are trying to be operationally efficient and maximize profit. However, their founder realized that by running lean (having the exact number of people they need to operate), it puts the team in a bind when they lose a team member, and it adds a mountain of stress to the people who remain.

Mr. Taher challenged the leaders to hire 10 percent more staff than they need to create some margin when someone leaves, provide a better work experience, and foster a healthier culture in the long run.

2. Don’t worry about the Kool-Aid.

Many of Taher’s customers are K-12 schools. In the day-to-day of the school world, oftentimes a leader in the school will approach some of the Taher team, asking for some Kool-Aid for a function or get-together at the school (in other words, his employees knew this challenge all too well).

Bruce Taher said, “when someone asks you for the Kool-Aid, your first concern should not be the budget category it would fall under. Just give them the Kool-Aid!” At this point in his talk, he grinned and looked over at his Chief Financial Officer, apologized, and added, “If you’ll do the right things, the budget will take care of itself.” In other words, make a decision that’s right for the business even if it seems counterintuitive. Your first thought should always be how to serve people well, and your second thought should be how to steward the money wisely.

Make a decision that’s right for the business even if it seems counterintuitive. Your first thought should always be how to serve people well, and your second thought should be how to steward the money wisely.

Taher, Inc.’s 77-year-old founder used his role to give permission in a way that only he could. What are ways you can leverage your role to give permission? As the leader of a team, how can you give permission for someone to do what’s right for the customer even when it costs the company some money? As a parent, how can you give your children permission to try something new—and fail? As a spouse, how can you give your husband or wife the permission to stop waiting on the perfect job opportunity and to start the small business? As a teacher, how can you give your students permission to ask good questions in your classroom?

As a pastor, how can you give your congregation permission to be authentic and share their struggles with one another?

Each one of us has roles where we can use our position and our words to give permission. Consider how you might do that this week.

When I say mission, I’m emphasizing the fact that we need to know why we do what we do. A sense of purpose (read: mission) is crucial to the success of our organizations. But every once in a while, I encounter a cynic. They will usually wrap their comments in kindness, but the feedback follows a familiar formula. After I give my talk, someone will come up and say, “Can’t we just make this simple? We pay people. They should do the work. We all win. You provide work, the business provides a paycheck, and we don’t need any of this extra stuff.”Here’s my response to the critics: In short, no, that’s not enough.Some context: We’ve talked about this before in a previous blog, but today, I want to focus on the danger of elevating money above mission. In theory, it seems like money alone would be enough motivation to perform work with excellence. However, there’s a glaring problem: when the exchange between employer and employee is all about money, we turn our employees into mercenaries who’d quickly sell their services to the highest bidder.[ctt template="2" link="dr5bD" via="no" ]When the exchange between employer and employee is all about money, we turn our employees into mercenaries who’d quickly sell their services to the highest bidder. @KevinPaulScott[/ctt]Said another way, if it’s only about money, we would have no loyalty and quickly work for the business down the street if they offer an extra quarter an hour.Think about this. If you signed up to serve in the US military, there is financial compensation. But, there are many jobs with higher pay and better benefits. If you are signing up to serve in the military, it’s because you have a desire to serve your country and fight for the people in it. And without a doubt, if an enemy military offered you more money to fight for them, you wouldn’t think about doing it. Why not? Ultimately, your work is about the mission.Similarly, if someone feels called to serve on the mission field, it’s unlikely that a company offering them more money to do a different job would persuade them to stay. They are motivated by the mission, not by the money.As leaders in the business world, or even education, we’ve got to connect people to our mission, not just the money. The word mercenary means a hand for hire who will always go to work for the highest bidder. If the only thing we’re doing to fight for talent is to offer them more money, we are playing a risky game that we will probably lose.Some people will say focusing on mission (or purpose, or vision) is fluffy and superfluous. Let me be clear: If your talent strategy is only about money, you will struggle to retain talent.Mission isn’t just a feel good thing. It’s also not a manipulation tactic—it must be authentic. When done correctly, mission creates employee engagement and loyalty over the long haul. [highlight]Money definitely matters, but mission matters more than money.[/highlight]Spend some time this week reminding folks in your organization why you do what you do.

But somehow I have “liked” something, or followed someone, along the way that has affected the algorithm and filled my feed with architecture posts. It’s random, but occasionally, I’ll stop and take a closer look at a thread that catches my attention. One recently was titled, “The Danger of Minimalist Design.”The post contained a string of pictures comparing minimalist telephone booths, benches, and fences, to those with more color and detail. The point was clear. If all design elements adopt the minimalist movement, we’ll lose what makes structures unique and fun to look at!Isn’t that true, even beyond architecture?The things that stand out have identifiable features that make them special and different.One of our core values of ADDO is: Wow. We say: [highlight]If it’s not WOW, it’s not worth doing.[/highlight]In other words, if we aren’t willing to challenge the status quo and approach problems from a new perspective, we don’t have a unique purpose, and we probably won’t make a lasting impact on the world around us.But this is easier said than done. In modern culture, we’re constantly pressed to blend in, be more realistic, and for the sake of everyone’s feelings, to not rock the boat. We’re encouraged, more than anything else, to be “normal.”Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, wrote a final letter to his shareholders in February of 2021. In it, he challenges them saying, “In what ways does the world pull at you in an attempt to make you normal? How much work does it take to maintain your distinctiveness? You have to pay a price for your distinctiveness… don’t expect it to be easy or free.” Entrepreneur and author Seth Godin similarly said, “If you’re remarkable, it’s likely some people won’t like you.”Doing things differently comes at a cost. It’s difficult to be different. We have a goal at ADDO to equip 10 million counter-cultural change makers. You know what? We will never build leaders that are counter-cultural if we aren’t counter-cultural ourselves![ctt template="2" link="0SUnY" via="no" ]It’s difficult to be different. @KevinPaulScott[/ctt]In what ways are you or your organization pressed to be normal, rather than uniquely better? The things worthwhile are often unique and different. If you’re looking for permission to be different, permission granted. To be sure, when you do something that stands out, the world will try to bring you back to the mean. You may be discouraged, or even discredited, when you do something differently. Keep being different anyway. Be uniquely better.

It launched from Cape Kennedy on July 16th, 1969, carrying three astronauts. My bet is that you’ve heard of two of them: Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong. Aldrin was Eagle pilot of the Lunar Module on the mission, and Neil Armstrong was the first man to walk on the moon. He famously said,

“That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”

But there was a third man on this mission: Michael Collins. Have you ever heard of him? I hadn’t. And I don’t know about you, but if I’m being honest, I would hate being Michael Collins. It’s kind of like being a member of NSYNC, but not being Justin Timberlake! No one has heard of Collins, but he was one of three astronauts on this important mission. His job was to pilot the Apollo 11 command module and fly around the moon while Aldrin and Armstrong walked on its surface. When prompted to comment on his role on the mission, he explained what an honor it was to have one of the three seats available on Apollo 11 and to help put the first man on the moon. Though he never stepped on the moon’s surface and didn’t gain the same level of fame as the other two men on his mission, he knew the importance of his role.

There is something life-giving for each of us when we understand that our role matters.

The person at the church who is making the snacks for VBS . . .The person in the business keeping the books . . .The person in the restaurant grilling the burgers . . .The person in the school mopping the floor . . .The person in the stadium picking up the trash in the stands . . .The person editing footage behind the scenes . . .The person making the phone calls to every client to make sure they feel cared for . . .MATTERS. They matter and their role matters. In each situation, what they are doing helps the whole organization move closer to its desired goal.

Your role matters too. When you understand that your role is essential to the success of your organization, you better understand that the things you’re doing day-in and day-out matter too.

I believe the same is true for you. It doesn’t matter if you are the CEO of a company, the team leader of a project, or the volunteer coordinator of a non-profit, any leader in any organization wants every person working for them to be inspired. People who are inspired are more motivated to do good work and to live productive lives.

But here’s a challenge: What can I do to inspire people? The prospect seems daunting, perhaps even overwhelming.

‍ADDO is the Latin word for “Inspire”, and though we’re always working to grow in this area, we’ve had concrete success, from inspiring high school students through Chick-fil-A Leader Academy to helping our clients inspire their own teams to achieve their goals. Here’s a secret: it’s more simple than you might think!

Let me suggest a two-step process.

‍Step 1: Find inspired people.

I know. This doesn’t really answer the question about how to inspire people, but it’s actually an important first step. Lou Holtz is a famous former football coach who said, “It's not my job to motivate players. They bring extraordinary motivation to our program. It's my job not to de-motivate them.” If you’re a leader, find talented people who are also inspired by the vision and mission of the work you are doing.

Your job as a leader is not to manufacture inspiration out of thin air; it’s to find the fire of inspiration behind each individual you lead and fuel that fire.

‍Step 2: Unlock the things that inspire them.

Once you find a team of inspired individuals (or at least mostly inspired individuals), it’s important to unlock what exactly inspires each one. Everyone is different, so this takes intentionality. I have three C’s you can remember as you seek to inspire your team:

‍1. Care.

Understand what is important to the people you lead by asking good questions and truly listening to discover what matters to them at their core. Remember: What is important to someone is not always what they say is important. This is why you need to know what is going on in their life to know what they care about. When you care about people, it’s easy to learn what they care about.

‍2. Consistency.

Inspiration is cultivated and maintained through small, consistent moments over time. Culture is created in the small moments and memorialized in the big ones. If you are banking on your one retreat each year to provide enough inspiration to motivate your team until your next retreat, you’ll be disappointed, and your team will be less than inspired.

Culture is created in the small moments and memorialized in the big ones.

The best kind of inspiring culture is established through one on one conversations, celebrating daily wins, and continually reminding your team of the why behind what they are doing. So when the big moment comes, your team will be genuinely inspired and grateful to be a part of your team.

‍3. Connect what’s important.

In other words, connect the mundane to the meaningful. Connect activity to accomplishment. Connect your work to the greater mission. If you are seeking to inspire a new team member, you need to understand who she is and what drives her. You need to be consistent in your intentionality, and you need to connect her daily tasks to her purpose or to the greater goals of your organization. My purpose and our purpose here at ADDO is to inspire people today to impact tomorrow. So this blog is as much a challenge to me as it is to you. If our own team isn't inspired, we will never fulfill our mission to inspire others!

Work this week to intentionally inspire the individuals on your team in the little moments, so the big moments will make an even greater impact on your culture and productivity.

Here are just five titles of the dozens of articles that have been published about it in the last two weeks alone:“The Great Resignation is not over: A fifth of workers plan to quit in 2022”“The Great Resignation Stems from a Great Exploration”“Five Ways to Compete for Talent During the Great Resignation”“Cities Stung by Great Resignation Hike Wages, Just as Recession Looms”“CEOs are Quitting and Joining and Great Resignation—Here’s Why”If you haven’t heard much about The Great Resignation, you can probably figure out what it’s about from its name: “In America alone, 47.8 million people called it quits in 2021” (Ederick Stander, Forbes). And in 2022, people are continuing to leave their jobs at unprecedented rates.But even if you haven’t read much about The Great Resignation, chances are you’ve felt the effects of it as a consumer. You’ve waited on your food longer than normal only to notice the sign posted in the window, pleading for qualified candidates to apply. Or maybe you purchased a new pair of shoes online and had to wait an extra week for them to be delivered. When you inquired, the company replied with an email explaining they are short staffed and taking longer to process orders. Your flight was delayed, or even canceled, as short-staffed airlines struggle to keep up.It’s true that more people are leaving their jobs than ever before. [highlight]However, the real problem is the disconnect between why employers think their employees are leaving and the real reasons for their departure.[/highlight] Last year, McKinsey & Company conducted a study to identify why employees say they are leaving their jobs versus why employers think they are leaving. The results were fascinating. Employers think these are the top reasons their employees are leaving their businesses:1. A better job offer2. More money3. More flexibilityHowever, when studied, employees state they are leaving because they want:1. A company who cares about them2. A manager who cares about them3. To feel a sense of belonging at workDon’t misunderstand me. Better jobs, more money, and greater flexibility are all reasons why employees leave… they just aren’t the top reasons for them leaving.One key reason businesses are struggling right now: they understand the problem of keeping employees, but they misunderstand what’s causing it. They understand they are struggling with retention, but they are misdiagnosing why.[ctt template="2" link="9c2V2" via="no" ]One key reason businesses are struggling right now: they understand the problem of keeping employees, but they misunderstand what’s causing it. @KevinPaulScott[/ctt]The Great Resignation is, in large part, caused by this great disconnect. When employers miss what people want, they spend time, energy, and effort on the wrong solutions. Paying someone more or giving them more flexibility may extend the amount of time a person is willing to stay, but it won’t keep them around for the long haul.All of these things listed are important, but the top three reasons employees are leaving can be summed up in one word: Care. Employees want to feel and experience a work community that cares for them. The bigger the company, the harder this is to cultivate.Oftentimes well-intentioned organizations struggle to show they care. While the solutions aren’t always easy, they are more simple than you’d expect. Investing in training leaders and providing individuals opportunity to grow can go a long way. My challenge to you this week: audit how you and your company (or school or church or non-profit) as a whole are caring for members of your team. Focusing on a culture of care will help you win the war for talent and weather the storm of the The Great Resignation.